Community Art Center – Project Need and Funding Status

Mission: Duvall Foundation for the Arts Promotes Creativity, Diversity, and Cultural Awareness by Supporting the Arts and Arts Education in the Lower Snoqualmie Valley.

Project Need: Snoqualmie Valley is growing in numbers and diversity and the need for this type of a facility has been identified for over 20 years. DFA delivers a robust arts and scholarship program. However, the majority of our programs and events have to occur outside because there is a shortage of indoor space.

In order to expand on the delivery of our mission, we must create an indoor space dedicated to supporting the arts. The Community Art Center (Thayer Barn) will allow the community to gather for all forms of art throughout the year. Our programming now is in barns, parks, gardens, and restaurants. The Duvall Visitor Center, where we currently lease space is going to be sold.

Current Funding: The Community raised $100,000 and we still have about $92,000. We spent some of the money the Community raised along with $10,000 that 4Culture awarded to us for disassembly and recovery of architectural elements and materials from the Thayer Barn for use in new facility to the extent practical.

Next Steps for Funding: DFA is now applying for a grant to pay for Shelter/Storage of these recovered materials. It is critically important to get materials under cover. We have applied for $95,000 for this element of the work and will not know until January 2016 if we will receive this money. The materials won’t be placed in the new building until the new building is constructed so the cover needs to last for multiple years.

DFA now has site control and contracted with Westcott Homes for installation of site infrastructure including stormwater, raingardens, water, sewer, power, access road, curbs, gutters, sidewalks. Designs for these items have been developed by a team of professionals and the designs are currently under review. These items are planned to be constructed in summer of 2016. A grant application has been submitted to cover DFA’s $120,000 share of these improvements. We won’t know until January 2016 if we will receive this money. If for some reason we don’t get this grant then we will have to have risen $28,000 additional dollars by spring of 2016 in order to keep the project on schedule. ($120,000 cost of infrastructure – $92,000 cash on hand = $28,000 still needed)

Milbrandt Architects donated architectural services for the building exterior. Based on these designs, the project has been through SEPA, SEPA appeals period, City approvals, Hearing Examiner’s approval, landuse appeal period, and master shoreline permitting. The next step is to do a full design of the building which will be done in concert with cost estimating for the construction and operation of the building to guide decision making. A grant has been submitted to cover these design costs which could be as much as $500,000. We won’t know until January 2016 if we will receive this grant.

Visit DFA’s web site or Facebook page for the latest updates and to see how you can get involved. This project requires DFA to seek funding from regional sources, grants and individual contributions. To make a donation please donate online and designate your gift to the Community Art Center. www.duvallarts.org